Kristaps Porzingis showcased his toughness in the Celtics' 109-100 victory against Orlando, playing through a gash inflicted by Goga Bitadze that required stitches. This incident added to Porzingis' history of on-court injuries this month, yet he embraced the moment, stating he loves engaging with the crowd. The Celtics took a commanding 2-0 lead in their playoff series despite Jayson Tatum's absence due to injury. Jaylen Brown stepped up with 36 points and 10 rebounds, supporting Porzingis' near triple-double performance.

Joe Mazzulla applauded Porzingis for his resilience, and the Celtics remained poised against the Magic's physicality, with the Celtics’ collective effort making it clear they won’t be intimidated. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope attempted to rattle the Celtics, but his performance fell flat as he struggled with just three points. Porzingis affirmed their strategy to respond to provocation without losing composure, demonstrating the Celtics' focus on gameplay rather than getting drawn into physical altercations.